3 examples of wrongful termination cases

On behalf of The Womack Law Firm posted in blog on Monday, July 10, 2017.

A wrongful termination can throw your life into turmoil. Not only have you lost your job, but you have also lost your job due to a ridiculous reason. Fortunately, people like yourself do have legal options in these situations.

To understand if you've been wrongfully terminated, you need to know what kinds of actions your employer can't take. Here are three different examples of things that are not allowed and that could mean you have a wrongful termination case.

1. Age discrimination

Age discrimination can include not hiring, firing, not promoting or otherwise treating an employee negatively due to his or her age. Those over the age of 40 are protected by law.

Here's an example. If you have worked with a company for 20 years, are 43 years old, and your coworker has worked at the company for one year and is 24, you may think you have the promotion you want in the bag. When the 24-year-old employee receives it, you're in shock because you have much more experience. Later, you find out that the promotion was given to the younger person because he or she would be in the public eye, so the company wanted someone young. That's age discrimination.

2. Public policy exceptions

A public policy is something set by the state or federal government. If your employer violates it, then you have the right to file a wrongful termination claim. For instance, if you file a workers' compensation lawsuit and your employer fires you, you may have a claim.

3. Sexual harassment or discrimination

Sexual harassment can also lead to wrongful termination. For instance, if your employer wants you to perform sexual acts to keep your job, that's harassment and against the law. Likewise, if your employer fires you because you come out as homosexual, that is not allowed.